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LBJ (film)
| runtime = 97 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $20 million | gross = $2.5 million }} LBJ is a 2016 American political drama film directed by Rob Reiner and written by Joey Hartstone, whose script was on the 2014 Black List. The film stars Woody Harrelson as the titular President, along with Richard Jenkins, Bill Pullman, Kim Allen, Michael Stahl-David, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jeffrey Donovan, Doug McKeon, C. Thomas Howell, and Michael Mosley. Principal photography on the film began in New Orleans on September 21, 2015, and it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2016. It was theatrically released by Electric Entertainment and Vertical Entertainment on November 3, 2017. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who called it "surface skimming" and criticized Harrelson's makeup, and with some comparing it negatively to the HBO film about Johnson, All the Way. Plot summary The story centers around the political upheaval that Vice President Johnson faced when he was thrust into the presidency at the hands of an assassin's bullet in November 1963. With political battles on both sides of the aisle, Johnson works to heal a nation and secure his presidency by passing Kennedy's historic Civil Rights Act. Cast * Woody Harrelson as President Lyndon B. Johnson * Richard Jenkins as Senator Richard Russell * Bill Pullman as Senator Ralph Yarborough * Kim Allen as Jacqueline Kennedy * Michael Stahl-David as Robert F. Kennedy * Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lady Bird Johnson * C. Thomas Howell as Walter Jenkins * Jeffrey Donovan as John F. Kennedy * Doug McKeon as Senator (later Vice President) Hubert Humphrey * Michael Mosley as Kenneth O'Donnell * Oliver Edwin as Bill Moyers * Brent Bailey as Ted Sorensen * John Burke as John Connally * Brian Stepanek as Rufus Youngblood * Rich Sommer as Pierre Salinger * Tim Ransom as Larry O'Brien * Judd Lormand as Robert McNamara * Darrel Guilbeau as Jack Valenti * Zack Carter as Agent Jerry Kivett Production The script for LBJ, a political-historical drama written by Joey Hartstone, was one of the winners of the 2014 Black List of unproduced screenplays. On June 16, 2015, Woody Harrelson signed on to play the lead role of 36th President Lyndon B. Johnson, while Rob Reiner signed to direct the film. The film was produced by Acacia Entertainment, Savvy Media Holdings, Castle Rock Entertainment, and Star Thrower Entertainment, and financed by Acacia and Savvy Media. Producers on the film are Matthew George, Reiner, Liz Glotzer, and Tim and Trevor White. Filming Principal photography on the film began in New Orleans on September 21, 2015. It was also shot in Baton Rouge, Dallas, and Washington. Principal photography wrapped in December 2015. Release & Reception The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2016. Shortly after, Electric Entertainment and Vertical Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film. It was theatrically released on November 3, 2017. It debuted to $1.1 million at 659 theaters, finishing 14th at the box office. Critical response On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 54%, based on 71 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "LBJ loses sight of its complicated subject, ignoring the more intriguing aspects of his personality and career in favor of a frustratingly ordinary biopic treatment." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score 54 out of 100, based 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a C, and said "Harrelson, who has a gift for squeezing charm out of even his most monstrous characters, leans hard into the contradictory notion that Johnson is a power-hungry humanist. The result is a performance that is both wildly ridiculous and appreciably grounded ... Harrelson’s turn seizes on his unique charisma in order to disentangle LBJ from the policies that have defined his legacy." TVOvermind critic Nat Berman gave the film a positive review, and praised Reiner's cast selection. Accolades See also * Lyndon B. Johnson in popular culture * Cultural depictions of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis * Cultural depictions of John F. Kennedy Notes References External links * * Category:2016 films Category:Films directed by Rob Reiner Category:Films shot in New Orleans Category:Films shot in Dallas Category:Films shot in Washington, D.C. Category:Castle Rock Entertainment films Category:Vertical Entertainment films Category:American films Category:American political films Category:American political drama films Category:Vietnam War films Category:Films about politicians Category:American historical films Category:American biographical films Category:Films about the assassination of John F. Kennedy Category:Films based on actual events Category:Films set in Dallas Category:Films set in New Orleans Category:Films set in Washington, D.C. Category:Films about Presidents of the United States Category:2010s historical films Category:2010s drama films Category:2010s biographical films Category:Biographical films about Presidents of the United States Category:Cultural depictions of Lyndon B. Johnson Category:Cultural depictions of John F. Kennedy Category:Political films based on actual events Category:Drama films based on actual events Category:English-language films Category:Film scores by Marc Shaiman